


After The Tone

by STARSdidathing



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Adorable, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cutesy, Drunk Dialing, Drunk Loki, Drunken Confessions, Fluff, Happy, Humor, Infatuation, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Loki Feels, M/M, Tony Feels, Voicemail, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 14:52:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10220690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing
Summary: Tony wakes up after an inventing bender to find a bunch of drunk voicemails have been left by his best friend.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Well! Would you lookie here? I managed to write a oneshot yesterday then edit and post it today! Looks like that drabble did help shake a few things loose, hehe. Let's hope it will allow me to turn back to SYT. We'll see XD
> 
> For now, enjoy some fluffy FI goodness! :)

Loki was his best friend, the one person in all the world who lined up with him perfectly, but even Tony couldn't drop everything just to get wasted with him.

He might not be CEO of Stark Industries yet (Howard was holding onto the reins a little longer, less because he didn't trust Tony and more because neither of them knew what he would actually do when he was officially retired) but he still had obligations. And okay, yes, those obligations were way more appealing when he actually _wanted_ to finish his latest invention and submit the designs to Howard. So in the end, he'd thought about it but eventually denied the opportunity to go out with Loki.

He hadn't thought much about it after wishing Loki a goodnight. He'd been down in his lab, his phone far out of his line of sight and impossible to hear over his music. He'd worked through most of that day, part of the night and crashed in the early hours of the morning. Howard had woken him at nine with a phone call he'd regretted answering and he'd fumbled his designs through to the old man before trying to go back to sleep.

When it hadn't worked, he'd peeled himself off the bed and into a shower. When that was done, he'd made his way to get a coffee, using the time it was percolating to scroll through his phone. He was startled and a little amused to find seven voicemails and all of them from Loki.

Bemused, he selected the first one. "You suck," it started. "I'm out with Bucky and Natasha and they've added new rules to their stupid Russian drinking game. I fucking hate you. I hope your invention blows up."

The call ended afterwards and Tony just laughed. Loki always ranted at him when he was irritated by something. Why he couldn't send texts or emails, Tony didn't know. Loki always preferred to air his grievances verbally and Tony always pretended he wasn't completely charmed.

The next one was a good two hours after the first and all the sharp and tightly controlled words his friend was known for had been more than a little mellowed. "Why were you busy Toooony," Loki whined into the phone, completely trashed and making Tony smile instantly. "Stupid invention. Your invention is stupid. Like your face." There was a huff of breath that made the phone crackle. "S-not half as fun without you." There was a long pause. "Fuck. I'm drunk." 

The call ended abruptly after that and Tony just grinned, leaning back against the bench comfortably as he waited for the next one to start. He was never deleting these. The amusement value _alone_ would be worth the threats Loki would make to his life.

“Heeeey, Tony." It was Bucky speaking this time, or really, drawling. He sounded extremely inebriated and while there was a lot of background noise from a club, an ‘ _oh god_ ’ could still be heard from Loki as well as the sound of someone scrambling over furniture and possibly bodies. Tony had to bite down on another smile. "Loki has something to tell youuuu," Bucky singsonged. "He needs to say something importaaaant."

“Oh my god, no I don’t," Loki could be heard shouting, "Hang up you fucker.”

There was something like a scuffle before the phone call ended and Tony was really wishing he hadn't refused the offer for a night out. He would have loved to have been there in person to see Bucky winding Loki up. Of course, that would have meant missing out on these messages. He also would have had a hangover, and an agitated father. He could see Loki get furious anytime but these voicemails were precious.

"Tony. Tooooonyyyy." Came the next one, followed by a pause. "This scotch is _horrible_." Another, longer pause. "Smells like 'm with you though."

It ended moments after that, and Tony couldn't satisfactorily explain why it made his chest feel so warm. Or rather, he could, he just didn't want to.

He almost hesitated over letting the next one roll out, torn between how much more of his friend's rambles he wanted to hear when he knew it would only make him smile so... softly. Too softly for just friends. 

But before he could fully decide, the next one was beginning.

"Tony. Toooony. Armadilloooo. It's 'little armoured one'? Did you know? I changed it. Your name. In my phone. You're 'little armoured one' now. I'mma get calls from Armadillo." He suddenly laughed, obviously in his excitable drunk phase. "Heh. _Dillo_. Like _dildo_." Tony heard Bucky's voice but couldn't make out the words. " _Shut up_ , Bucky," Loki hissed, sounding ridiculously embarrassed all of a sudden. " _Fuck_."

The call finished and Tony might have quickly gone back and played it multiple times. Squinting and concentrating but still unable to make out whatever Bucky had said to make Loki sound so mortified.

Sighing, he decided to use the brief break to make himself a coffee. He only had two more messages to go through after all, and while he was feeling a little more alive than earlier, he still needed caffeine if he was going to get through the day. Not to mention if he was going to make it across town with hangover food so he could give it to and then tease the crap out of Loki for his series of phone calls.

He waited until he had taken his coffee over to the couch and took a seat, sipping slowly as he placed the phone back to his ear to listen to the next message. It was short though, only a few seconds and it had none of the background noise that the others did.

"I changed it back," Loki said, quiet and sad. It was whispered like a secret against the phone and it made Tony go still. "M'sorry, 's-just Tony again. Sorry."

Tony could vaguely here the sound of light traffic before the call cut out. 

He knew there were numerous breaks in the time-stamps of the recordings, but it didn't take a genius to realize that the next message was taken at Loki’s home. It wasn't the sounds that let Tony know or even the logical conclusion from the series of messages - it was Loki's voice. It was open and free of artifice, the way it only ever was when he felt safe in his own environment. When he was unguarded, relaxed, unchecked. 

The series of honest phonecalls and too much alcohol didn’t make it a surprise that Loki was rambling, it was the _context_ though that shocked Tony.

"S-not fair. _S-not!_ " Loki groaned. “You're inventin' and, and _thinkin'_ and you're not _here_." Loki hissed something under his breath, too jumbled to make out. "Wouldn'a drunk s'much if you were 'ere. Makin' me think, makin' me _careful_. But still wish you were 'ere. Doesn't matter if I'm careful..." 

He trailed off and there was a good thirty seconds of silence. Tony was trying not to squirm as he waited for anything more, hoping the call wouldn't just end. 

When he did speak, Loki's next words were a whisper, "Wish I didn' want you so much. Stupid. So _stupid_." Loki let out a shaky sigh. "Best friends aren't supposed to... supposed to..." He heard a pained, frustrated groan and something like a body flopping on furniture. "Wanna be there. With you. Wanna... wanna be your..." he sighed again, going quiet even as the shifting of fabric could be heard on the phone. It was quiet for too many seconds before Loki finished with a heart-wrenching and soft confession, "S-just... I love you."

Tony's breath caught as the final voicemail finished and he was left with his phone pressed to his ear too firmly as he imagined Loki curled up and falling asleep halfway across town.

 _Wait_. Tony quickly checked his phone, cursing at the time before almost throwing down his coffee and darting for his front door to grab his keys. It was nearly ten in the morning and while Loki didn't always follow his usual crack of dawn schedule when he was hungover, Tony couldn't be sure the universe wouldn't do something just to fucking spite him. Because when Loki realised what he'd done - if it was _true_ what he felt - then Loki would start freaking out and regretting it. And like fuck did _Tony_ regret it. He'd been wanting, _hoping_ for a fucking sign from Loki for _years_ , but he'd always thought it was useless. They were friendzoned, there was no going back, no changing the tracks. 

But now... maybe it... maybe they _could?_ Tony's heart was racing as he flew out of his apartment and made his way to his car, hoping with all his heart that this could be real.

* * *

The phrase 'a bat outta hell' could have been used to describe the way Tony made his way to Loki's apartment. He didn't think he'd ever achieved a better speed. He might have also come perilously close to running a red light and crashing his car, but he got there in one piece and rushed up to Loki's third floor apartment, so it was still a win.

He only actually stopped and _thought_ about what he was doing when he paused with his hand over the doorhandle. That was when the doubts started to sink in, because he knew drunken phonecalls, he knew bad decisions and he knew how much of a _trickster_ Loki was. He knew that Loki could pull off the most elaborate pranks when he was half wasted and cackling with more insanity than genius in his head. 

And while Tony might have wanted to burst in on Loki and shout ' _I love you too_ ' before kissing his friend and living happily ever after, he wasn't stupid. This had the possibility to get him the one person he'd wanted romantically for too many years to count... but it also might open up a can of worms that showed his feelings and got him rejected. And fuck, it would crush him if that was what happened.

So just, slow and steady until he knew more. 

He could do that, right?

Tony swallowed and closed his eyes, taking a moment to assure himself he could do this before he unlocked Loki's door with his spare key and stepped inside. Loki wasn't asleep on the couch like he'd expected, but the shoes beside it and the state of the furniture indicated that he had been. Tony shut the door quietly and glanced around, but he couldn't hear any indication that Loki was awake.

He slid his keys back into his pocket and stepped further into the apartment. He was about to call the other's name when he heard padding feet and glanced towards Loki's bedroom. Loki had a towel over his shoulders, his hair still wet and dripping as he wore low-riding sleep pants. He looked mostly awake and rather hungover. Loki stared at him with confusion for half a second before something like realization swept through him and he paled dramatically. 

He abruptly looked like he was going to be sick, and considering the amount of liquor he must have consumed the previous night, Tony was honestly worried. "Er, you okay?"

"No," Loki murmured instantly before swallowing thickly and glancing away. "No, I don't think so."

"Do you need an anti-nausea?" Tony asked tentatively. "Or advil? Some water?"

Loki let out a rough, half laugh. "No." 

He then closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. They were both silent and awkward for almost a minute before Loki dropped his hand and looked at him with a pained grimace. "I didn't imagine leaving those messages, did I?" 

Tony hesitated, trying to align his thoughts and figure out how to even approach it, but his brief pause only made Loki curse and clench his fists. He glared at the ground before letting out a rough breath. 

"It was a mistake,” he said almost angrily, “just give me your phone." Loki took a step closer and when Tony only blinked at him, he closed the rest of the distance and held out his hand. "I’ll delete them and we'll forget it."

Tony looked at Loki's hand before back up at him. "But I-"

"No," Loki shook his head. "We file it away, we ignore it. You pretend you never heard..." he grimaced, " _that_. Nothing changes. I give my phone to Nat when I'm drunk and we go on as normal."

Cautiously, Tony found himself asking, "And what exactly are we ignoring?"

Loki stilled, something calculating coming over his face before he asked, "How many messages did you receive?"

Looking into Loki's guarded eyes, Tony took a gamble and hoped like hell he was right. "I got the one where you said you were in love with me."

Loki physically flinched and something in his face cracked; resignation, misery and more than enough heartache to make Tony certain. Loki wouldn't hold Tony's eyes as he whispered, "Everyone does stupid things when they're drunk."

It was as if he was trying to absolve himself, to absolve _Tony_ from needing to respond. He didn't want Tony say something to him that Loki didn't want to hear; rejection. It was obviously the only answer Loki expected - his tension, the hurt in his eyes and the way Loki looked like he wanted to disappear.

It made Tony's heart both ache and melt at the same time. 

Stepping forward to close the distance between them, Tony smiled gently as he reached out and grasped Loki's hands. Loki jerked and his eyes finally found Tony's. Tony just kept smiling as he placed Loki's palms on his hips and removed the last of the space between them. He was looking up at Loki's rapidly widening eyes and slack, shocked mouth. 

"I like drunk Loki," Tony confessed. "I like that he finally gave me enough hope to say that I’m in love with you too. That I have been for years and that I’d love to start dating you. Say, now? And can I kiss you too? Or you kiss me? Or we-"

Loki bent down and brought their lips together before he could continue, but Tony wasn't complaining. He just curled into the other and brought a hand to tangle in the wet strands of Loki's hair. He closed eyes and lost himself in the kiss, feeling Loki's hands slip around behind his back. Tony just pulled them even closer.

It was _gorgeous_ and Tony's chest felt like it would burst with happiness, with desire, with _love_. When Loki's hands slid under his shirt, Tony didn't even realise what he was agreeing to until Loki broke the kiss. He nuzzled Tony's neck before asking, "Yes?" He ran his hands down Tony's back and over his bum, cupping him and dragging Tony forward and against him, making them both moan softly. "Tony do you-"

"Yes. _Fuck yes_ ," Tony hissed before tugging Loki's hair until he could kiss him again and feeling Loki laugh a little into his mouth. From there, it was the work of moments to get them to Loki's room, out of their clothes and on top of each other.

Loki was powerful and passionate, fucking Tony like he both wanted to own him and never lose him. Tony in turn, clung to his lover and spurred him on, crying out his pleasure and begging him to don't stop - _never_ stop. 

When they finally collapsed together on the bed, Tony was curled up around Loki and feeling him trace lazy patterns on his back with the tips of his fingers. Tony hadn't been thinking about much, just enjoying the feeling of Loki pressed against his side. He'd even been contemplating having a nap, when a random memory surface and with it a niggling question. "Loki?"

"Hmm?"

"How well do you remember those messages?"

Loki gave a short, mildly embarrassed groan. "Too well."

"Do you know what Bucky said to make you change my name from Armadillo? I'd ask how it even came up, but I know how you scroll Wikipedia when you're drunk." It was one of his ridiculously endearing qualities. Loki didn't seem to think so as he flushed lightly and tried to bury his face in Tony's hair. That only made Tony even more curious. "Come on, what was it? What did he say?"

There was a long pause before the words were mumbled slightly against his hair. Tony could only just make them out. "He said I wouldn't want a dildo if I had your cock instead."

Tony was silent for all of a second before he laughed, long and hard - he couldn't help it. Loki just scowled and whacked him but Tony didn't mind in the slightest.

When he was finally able to control his giggles, Loki had pulled away from him slightly and had crossed his arms. He was also glowering at him, but Tony just grinned cheerful. "Well, I think Bucky seriously underestimates how inventive I can be in bed."

The agitation slid off Loki's face to be replaced with something very intrigued. "Does he now?"

"Mm," Tony hummed before pressing himself back against Loki and slowly gaining Loki's arm around him once again. "It's alright though. He's not the guy I want _in_ my bed learning what I like." He shifted slightly to better see Loki's face. "That's only reserved for you."

Loki looked like he was trying to fight his grin, but in the end he couldn't help it. "Then I look forward to seeing how inventive you can be."

Tony just smirked, more than up for the challenge, more than up for _anything_ if it was with the man beside him. He already had numerous ideas he wanted to try bridging to his lover - for starters, he was damn well going to suggest voicemail phone sex. 

People always said it was good to be commemorative, and there was a hell of a lot that Tony wanted to commemorate when it came to a drunken rambling Loki helping them to finally get together.


End file.
